Truck spills 3,000 gallons of cleaning solvent at interstate exit

A tractor trailer carrying a hazardous material tipped over and spilled its load near the Buttermilk Road overpass at Interstate 20/59 on Tuesday morning. Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue responded to the scene with the Tuscaloosa Police Department and Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

Robert Sutton | Tuscaloosa News

By Stephanie TaylorStaff Writer

Published: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 1:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 1:01 p.m.

A truck that overturned on an interstate exit ramp Tuesday morning spilled more than 3,000 gallons of cleaning solvent.

Members of the Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service team had contained the DDE-4 that spilled by the Buttermilk Road exit of Interstate 20/59 and were waiting for a clean-up crew from Birmingham to arrive around 12:30 p.m.

"The only possible danger right now is its flammability, but it has a high ignition point making it very unlikely," said Fire and Rescue Service EMS Chief Travis Parker.

The driver of the tanker truck had picked up the load in Texas and was heading for Delaware, he said. He exited from the northbound lane of Interstate 20/59 and was turning left, toward an area with fast food restaurants and truck stops, when the truck rolled onto its side. The tank was punctured by the metal guardrails on the side of the road.

Firefighters were called to the wreck at 10:09 a.m. Traffic was diverted and the exit was closed for a short time, Parker said.

<p>A truck that overturned on an interstate exit ramp Tuesday morning spilled more than 3,000 gallons of cleaning solvent. </p><p>Members of the Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service team had contained the DDE-4 that spilled by the Buttermilk Road exit of Interstate 20/59 and were waiting for a clean-up crew from Birmingham to arrive around 12:30 p.m.</p><p>"The only possible danger right now is its flammability, but it has a high ignition point making it very unlikely," said Fire and Rescue Service EMS Chief Travis Parker. </p><p>The driver of the tanker truck had picked up the load in Texas and was heading for Delaware, he said. He exited from the northbound lane of Interstate 20/59 and was turning left, toward an area with fast food restaurants and truck stops, when the truck rolled onto its side. The tank was punctured by the metal guardrails on the side of the road. </p><p>Firefighters were called to the wreck at 10:09 a.m. Traffic was diverted and the exit was closed for a short time, Parker said.</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210.</p>